The Cayman Islands Football Association is refocusing attention on building up the women’s programme, starting at the youngest levels.
CIFA president Alfredo Whittaker told the Compass that women’s football in Cayman may have a different look moving forward.
The sport has been heavily dominated by men’s leagues and boys’ youth programmes for many years. However, CIFA has created a committee that will focus on female footballers.
The committee – chaired by Martha Godet, who is the director of CIFA’s women’s programme – which consists of female representatives from past and current clubs, is charged with strengthening football development for girls.
This follows CIFA establishing a women’s committee in 2014, which was disbanded two years later. Now, Godet said, it is time to look to the future.
“We know the work it takes to keep the game alive and the passion for ensuring stability and a brighter future for all female footballers,” she told the Cayman Compass.
“I look forward to working strategically with the bright and innovative members, and I am very proud of the opportunity to chair this committee.”
Women continue to break through in the sport of football, which was on full display last month when more than 87,000 fans packed Wembley to watch the women’s Euro final where England beat Germany 2-1.
Though Cayman currently has a youth national girls’ teams and a women’s national squad that has showcased exceptional football over the last five years, there is still a need for clubs to take part in girls’ youth leagues.
Whittaker, now in his second term as CIFA president, noted that he has “a special interest in female football” and he is urging domestic clubs to start grassroots programmes for girls who are interested in the sport.
“We have a fortunate and unfortunate situation in Cayman, where we have a couple of teams that have the majority of the players,” he said. “We have to find a way to get participation from the eastern districts… [Bodden Town], East End and North Side, maybe even Savannah.”
To date, five teams are registered for the 2022-23 season in the CIFA Women’s Premier League – Sunset FC, Scholars ISC, Elite SC, Latinos FC and Fusion – with Academy SC a possible addition, according to Paul Byles, the club’s head of youth development.
Related Videos
